Like Ink And Water
by Mythiiical
Summary: When an Inkling is found dead in an alley, those close to her try to figure out who could've done it, and find themselves way in over their head.
1. Chapter 1

"I swear to the Zapfish, if you're not ready in five minutes I'm going to burn all of your clothes, Somme!" An impatient tapping noise echoed up from the bottom of the stairwell, getting quicker and more aggressive as time continued to tick away.

"I'm almost done!"

"You've said that way too many times now, and I'm not going to have you ruin my League chances today just because you couldn't find the perfect outfit! You already have your career, don't you dare ruin the chance I have at mine!"

A fit Inkling stood waiting for her sister at the steps, arms crossed, eyes glaring upward at an empty space that lay at the top where her sister should have been standing by now. The two Squids might as well have been as far from similar as possible, for siblings. While Seille had loved Turf War since she first sprouted her land-legs, Somme had always found the fashion side of Inkling life more to her preference.

"I'm about this close to taking your car and leaving you here!" Seille shrieked, when only a second later her threat was quashed by the quick stomping footsteps of her sister finally running to the stairs and quickly down to her sister.

"Nope! Ain't happening as long as I'm alive." Somme gave a sharp toothed grin and booped her sister on the nose.

"How is it that you get a car before I do? Aren't I the older one?"

"Yeah but you didn't get a job when you were sixteen like I did."

"Don't get a big head, you've only been with them for two years. And if you make me even more late, then you're gonna have to keep up paying all the bills."

Seille was 22, with pastel purple hair that was cut somewhat on the short side, not quite boyish. Her eyes were a striking silver, sharp and inquisitive, and she was dressed ready for her match tonight, in a Custom Painted F-3 by her sponsor, Forge, shorts, Gold Hi-Horses from Zink and a King Flip Mesh that had three notches cut out of the hats brim akin to a bite mark.

Somme was 18, and her hair was a soft blue hue, long and fishtail braided. She's got mismatched eyes, one in silver and the other gold, bright and cheerful. Sporting a frilly dress and white sandals, the difference between the two couldn't be more clear than right now.

Seille hefted up her equipment bag, with her weapon, ink tank and other miscellaneous items within it, and walked out the door with her sister in tow.  
"You made sure to eat something, right?" Somme asked, "I know you're excited but you always get woozy-"

"Yes mom," Seille tossed her bag into the back of her sisters car. It was a bit of a run down hand-me-down from their father, an Akamachi Reflect. A somewhat older, sporty little thing, in a beautiful deep blue marred by a flourish of white graffiti on the driver's side and speckled with stickers on it's rear.

"You got everything you need too? I know dad always gets nervous about these fashion shows, you got your spray in case anyone gets a little too friendly?"

Somme made a little flourish of taking a little spray canister from a pocket she had in her dress, just big enough to fit it and her keys as she sat in the driver's seat after her sister. "Got it!"

"Fresh, now let's go!"

Before they could even get to Inkopolis Square, it was already very clear that the party had started already. As a matter of fact even from their front door before they left, they could see the lights and lasers of the Splatfest in the heart of the city. At the line at the exit ramp, the little car was absolutely vibrating from the sheer force of the music the Square was emitting. The Zapfish was curled around the tallest building in the Square, happily enjoying the fresh beats from down below. It's body glowing brightly among the rest of the lights around it. A brief sense of pride swelled in Seille's heart at the sight of the sacred fish returned safely to them. Though how that came about, she wasn't really sure of.

Not that it mattered, it was Splatfest! Somme hadn't even found a parking garage yet before Seille started to gather up her bag and other gear.

"Hey hey woah hold up!"

Seille turns, curious, and Somme softly bonks her forehead against hers.

"Good luck, big sis! I know you'll do great."

Seille grins wide at her, "Thanks! I'll be sure to give you a shoutout when I take the top spot okay?" She pops the door open with her free hand, "Love ya! Don't party too hard with all those other models okay? No drugs!"

"Only the really hardcore ones." Somme replies with a wink.

With that, Seille hops out of the car and onto the sidewalk that lead straight to the Square, just a couple blocks down.

The City always took on a completely different vibe during the night, but when it was time for a Splatfest, that was amplified by a thousand percent, nothing could compare to it. When Seille finally got to one of the manned entryways to the Square, guarded by a rather intimidating squid, she simply raises up her arm to show him her wristband. It signified she was participating in the Turf Wars tonight, and without any sort of hassle he lets her by.

Crossing the threshold, her heart already began to race in excitement. The party was well on its way already, with squids dancing their hearts out as Off the Hook performed on the stage elevated above them.

But she wasn't here to dance and party just yet.


	2. Chapter 2

The Inkling makes her way to the Turf War lobby space, located just through the doors beneath and behind the stage. Another little check for her wristband, and she's through to a locker room to prep her gear. She lightly tosses her bag onto a bench, offering pleasantries to some other Squids she recognized and some fresh faces too. Nestled in her usual space among the lockers, there was a minute or so before two of her teammates arrived and began to follow suit after their squad captain.

"You ready, Seille?" One of them asked. They were a slightly shorter Inkling in comparison to her, a little more slight. Her hair was asymmetrical, one long and sort of thick tentacle on her right side, and the left half of her head was short, close to her head. It was deep, dark blue in coloration at the bottom, gradienting into pink slowly towards the top and across the rest of her head. Midway down her hair there were flecks of purple spots scattered throughout. She was wearing an Inkopolis Squaps Jersey and mid-calf black leggings with black seahorses shoes.  
Noelle was her name, a sly grin on her dark eyes.

"Squit, we've only been prepping for the day scouts would show up for a year now!"

Noelle was the Dualies girl through and through, she was nimble, fastest one on the squad in fact. She removed her beloved weapons from her bag and gave one a little twirl around her finger before setting it down again to prep her ink tank.

Next was Ria, who was taller than Seille by a fair amount, and came into their space initially without saying a word. She was always the quiet one, ever since they all had met years ago when they formed their squad. A Splatterscope poked out of her bag, too long to fit. Ria was basically all legs, only partially concealed in Pro Trail Boots and a pair of shorts. Unlike her two other teammates in their somewhat more colorful garb, she was wearing a Front Zip Vest, with her right arm encased in the accompanying arm wrap. She went much more simple, for being the Sniper required simplicity and something that wouldn't stick out so much.

Seille gave Ria a simple smile to ask her if she was ready, and got a confident nod in response. But a curious look around afterwards noted that they were missing their last.

"Where's Aiko?"

There's a pause, the two other squids pausing in their prep to glance around the locker room, and there indeed was no sign of Aiko. Seille took out her phone, and lo and behold not a single message from anyone waiting for her. The other girls did the same.

"Anything from her?" Seille asked. Ria shook her head. Noelle spoke up.

"Says she's sick."

"W-? What the shell, why would she text you and not me?" Seille asked a little too loudly, not only surprised that they were left hung out to dry like that, but the fact that Aiko didn't even text her squad captain left her a little hurt. Noelle looked a little sheepish, "Says she didn't want you to yell at her."

"Well," Ria speaks up, barely loud enough for them to hear her. "Just tell her to get better soon, yeah?"

"We're gonna get some rando on our team now," Seille groaned, though trying her best to keep from getting too annoyed. She had a temper that, while the two girls here with her today could handle it, Aiko had always been the sort of more fragile one about it. "She knows how important today is for the squad-now our whole team unity is gonna be screwed."

"Maybe the random will actually be pretty good? Shouldn't be too harsh on someone we haven't even met yet, maybe they'll fit in nicely." Noelle tried her best to settle the whole situation down. Yes, they had all been training for a long time for a day like this to come around. Only a few times throughout the year did recruiters for huge gear companies come to Splatfests, and those contracts were worth ridiculous amounts of coin. One contract alone could give Seille enough money to buy her parents a new house, as well as one for herself in any of the worlds freshest cities!

"Alright, whatever. Finish getting your gear together, I'll go find one of the officials to see if they can get us a new teammate."

Seille tossed her ink tank on over her shoulder, and brought her Custom Splattershot Jr with her.

During Splatfests, while Judd and Lil' Judd were known far and wide, they really only judged how much turf was inked, or who had more points in Ranked. The lesser known officials-nothing more than volunteers- took care of things like finding squads for squids who didn't have one to play with at this level. They wore black and white striped shirts, and sort of flitted around the building trying to sort everyone out into teams before matches started.

One of them happened to be a squid she had known since primary school, a boy squid who never really took to the turf-life.

"Yo, Seille, what's up?"

"Dude, Aiko flaked on us. We need a replacement."

He flinched just slightly, surprised, "Squit, are you joking? -No, of course you aren't- Got it. I'll try and find you someone. You want a roller?"

" _Please,_ and please make sure they're fresh enough for the team too. I can't go out there looking like a scrub."

"Don't worry, I got you covered. I'll call you guys when you're up, yeah?"

"Thanks dude, I appreciate it." She bounces forward a couple little steps and wraps him in a hug.

"No problem, I know todays a big deal! Someone bailing always shucks things up." They hug, and she makes her way back to the locker room. A pair of younger Inkling girls passed by, clearly extremely nervous. They must've just gotten called or something. It'd been a while since she'd felt this excited about Turf War in all honesty. The past few Splatfests she hadn't bothered with simply because Turf was getting a little stale, the same squids over and over again, and the prize of Super Sea Snails? She had more than enough of them, and gear she already had to her liking. In fact, she kept her surplus of them living in a tank in the apartment.

Seille found her squad again, right where she left them.

"So? Did Timber find anyone for us?" Noelle asked, looking anxious as she bounced slightly where she stood.

"He said he'll call us when we're ready to go. Just sit tight."

* * *

It took about twenty minutes before Timber's voice came up on the intercom through the building, calling each of their names as well as a fourth that Seille had never heard before out of everyone in their rank. They didn't acknowledge it yet though, and gathered up their gear to head to the super jump pad. She and Noelle were very clearly unable to hold their excitement, bouncing and twirling around as they walked, singing along to Off The Hook as it blasted through the speakers above them.

At the Jump Pad, Timber was waiting alongside another male Inkling who looked a little shy behind his roller. He was taller than even Ria by a good margin, and looked quite strong with what looked to be a custom recolored Dynamo Roller, in a fresh coat of metallic silver paint in his hands.

"Girls, this is Orion. He came here from the Plaza, wanted a new scene."

Orion was blue-green in hair coloration, a somewhat soft blue hue being the base color with splotches of green throughout. The sides were shaved, with the top in a longer sort of mohawk, different from the shorter and spikier mohawk variation that was popular around the Square. He was wearing a pair of silver special edition Designer Headphones from Forge, which caused Noelle to speak up.

"Holy- For eel? You got a pair of those sick cans? I thought those were only sent to like, big time squids!" She exclaims with a squeak in her voice.

"Uh-Y-yeah- Haha, my older brother gave them to me. Said he had too many headphones already. They matched my roller-"

"That's rawsome!"

He was also wearing a simple Zekko hoodie, his free hand tucked into the front pocket.

Seille spoke up next, "Well uh, welcome to the squad. Did Timber tell you what was up?"

"Yeah your last bailed? That sucks. I'll try not to screw things up too bad," He chuckled, "The scene here's a lot more competitive than at the Plaza."

Inkopolis Plaza-at least to what Seille had heard- was a little more into the fashion side of things than the sports aspect. Which wasn't really much of an issue. She trusted Timber to not give her a scrub.

"I'm Seille, that's Noelle and Ria. We've been a squad for a long time now, so I'm not gonna go telling you what to do. We all know our place in the scheme of Turf so just do your thing Orion and you'll do fine by us, yeah?"

He gives a shrug, "I dunno I kind of like taking orders from girls-"

There's a tic of silence between them, Seille staring at him, confused, before he catches himself.

"Uh- I mean yeah, I got it. Don't-don't pay any attention to that."

"...Ooookay-Timber, where we going?"

"You're lucky, first up is Shifty Station."


End file.
